U.S. Pat. No. 6,331,145 describes dice which can detect a thrown value and use a wireless transmitter to communicate the thrown value to, e.g., a computer system, thus giving the user the “feel” and control over the dice throw, if compared to fully automated or computerized games where the computer determines a thrown value using a random number generator or the like. Disadvantages of this die are that the electrical components inside the die receive their operating energy from components that have a limited lifetime, such as a battery, from photo cells, which require a certain amount of light, often not available in gambling halls, or from the wireless receiving means, which requires an additional RF transmitter or the like.
A further drawback of the die in this document is that optical sensors, embedded in each face of the die (or in all faces except one), are used to determine on which face of the die it rests, i.e. the thrown value corresponds to value of the face opposite to the face comprising the photo sensor that does not generate a photocurrent. Note that this die will not work properly on a (partially) transparent table hence restricting the different types of tables that can be used. In a further embodiment, the die uses capacitance sensors or induction coil sensors to determine the thrown value, this type of sensors also restricts the different types of tables that can be used and therefore the usability of this type of die.